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2002 Jury Member

The Rolex Awards for Enterprise

Location: Japan

Chie NakaneJapan, Born 1926

Chie Nakane has spent a lifetime investigating and chronicling Asian societies, particularly those of Japan, India and China.

Today, the focus of her work is the comparison of social structures, as well as tackling issues faced by developing countries. Professor Nakane’s incisive study of Japan is presented in her seminal book, Japanese Society, which offers many insights into the nation’s social structures.

In 1970, the respected scholar and social anthropologist became the first woman professor at the University of Tokyo. To date, she is the first and only woman member of the Japan Academy. A 1987 recipient of the prestigious Japan Foundation Award for her research, she is also an honorary member of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland.